shattered bonds

Chapter 5

"maggie"

The beginning of the school year was crazy for me. I was feeling so calm during the holidays, having the whole day free until our last year of middle school would come. We're already 13, some turning 14, like me in November. We're no longer kids.

I want to start fresh, last year I was overly dramatic in some situations, and I think it harmed my reputation, I suppose. I picked out my outfit for school, dreading those beautiful but unfamiliar blue jeans. Maybe they won't fit me perfectly. Silly chubby and wide legs, they always ruin everything.

My mom always takes a picture of us before we go to school on the first day, of me and my brother Ethan. My other brother hates photos, and he's much older, he's 17 and already in his senior year.

"Come on, Maggie, get ready for the picture. Ethan, you too," my mom said, snapping photos with vintage cameras when it's easier with a cellphone. I think she still does it because it reminds her of when she was a kid.

"Ugly pig," Ethan said to me as we walked by and smiled at the camera.
"Idiot... with the fashion sense of a scarecrow," I responded, giving a playful jab. A very mild insult if you ask me.

"Ready," my mom said, setting the camera aside. I said goodbye to my dad and mom and walked to school with Ethan. We live a few blocks away, not too far, so we can walk without any problem.

As we walked under the scorching sun, I spotted Sophia Caldwell on the other side of the street, Matthew's best friend. When I tried to wave and greet her, she looked away, ignored me, and acted clueless. We used to be friends since elementary school, I remember we used to talk a lot, and she lives just two blocks away from my house. Then we grew apart, I became closer friends with Matt over time and art classes, but she disconnected without any reason.

"Isn't that Sophia?" my brother discreetly asked me, as she was on the other side of the street, but she could hear him with the little traffic around.
"Yeah, she didn't want to say hi."
"She was very shy, must be that."

"Sure, sure, it must be," I ignored the topic and picked up the pace because we were running late."

When we arrived, I felt that familiar school air enveloping me, and all I could do was sigh deeply and enter the school, yearning to be back home. As I stepped inside, I caught sight of Steph in the hallway.
"Maggieee, how are you?" she greeted me warmly, embracing me with affection, as she sometimes does.
"Doing fine, and you?" I replied. "Well, fine if we ignore the fact that we're back to classes and there are no more vacations."
"Same here, vacations flew by," she said. "Oh, I'll catch you at recess. The girls are calling me."
"Okay, bye!" I bid her farewell with a kiss on the cheek.

Steph has always been popular, with her wealth, beautiful face, and luscious brown hair. She's incredibly sweet to everyone. We've never fought, always sticking together without any issues. Some people didn't like Steph and her kindness; they compared her to Regina George from Mean Girls. They definitely don't know her even a bit, but whatever, it doesn't matter.

I climbed the stairs, wondering whom I would encounter next. And there they were, Uma and Marie, my best friends, I suppose. I'd like to call them my classmates, but if I didn't, I'd be alone, so it's better not to.

"Hey, girls, how are you? So nervous," I greeted them.
"Hey, Magg, all good? You look beautiful... Wow!" Marie exclaimed, giving me a tight hug.
"Oh, me too Mag, I'm so nervous. I don't want classes to start," Uma exclaimed, her hand trembling as she touched my shoulder. She's a bit colder than Marie, but we still talk a lot and she laughs quite a bit. Physical contact isn't really her thing, and anything cheesy disgusts her.